Do you know the status of your brand?

In class this week, our professor highlighted one of her lectures that discussed personal brands. In her discussion, Dr. Edmiston mentioned “Googling youself.” Here is an appropriate picture I found that supports her main her points:

I’m not above this practice. I’ve Googled myself before. Yes, I admit it. But, it’s really a rare occurrence. Why so rare? Well, I don’t ever really post anything on social media. All of my search results come up empty. It’s really a boring exercise. And, I actually like it that way.

But for future opportunities, people must be aware of how they are perceived online. More and more, employers are screening you employment-potential through your social media footprint. So, what are these hiring managers looking for? Sixty-five percent of hiring managers use their social searches to see if the applicant “presents him-or herself professionally.” Half used the sites to determine if the person would be a good fit with the company’s culture, and 45 percent wanted to learn more about the candidates’ qualifications.

Kevin Keller writes in his book, Strategic Brand Management, that personal brands can be difficult to keep consistent. “A person brand can have many facets, and many interactions and experiences with many different people over time, all adding to the complexity of brand management,” says Keller. So, you must be aware that your personal brand does have an impact on your professional one.

The biggest tip I take from Keller is that a personal brand must live up to the brand promise (aka how you want to be perceived to others) at all times. He says, “Reputations and brands are built over years but can be harmed or even destroyed in days.” My personal philosophy is, “only post something I wouldn’t mind my kids or grandmother to seeing.” It’s kept me safe so far, ha.